Thanks to all who came by last month to comment on this project as we reach the halfway mark in our design process! We appreciate the valuable feedback from neighbors and bike path riders.

The Northvale Gap Closure project aims to close a 0.7 mile gap in the existing Expo Line Bike Path with a new bikeway between Motor Ave and Overland Ave. The resulting project will provide a safe, low-stress bicycle facility through Cheviot Hills and Rancho Park, and help complete a continuous east/west bikeway network from Santa Monica to USC/Exposition Park.

During the open house held on June 26th, 2018, City staff from LADOT, the Bureau of Engineering, and Council District 5 provided community members with updates on the project’s current design. (The materials from this meeting can be found here). Attendees were encouraged to provide their general feedback on the project, as well as vote on their preferred design option for Segment 2 (Dunleer Dr. to Putney Rd.) of the project.

The vast majority of the 27 written comments received at the open house or via email expressed support for the project. The comments featured several recurring themes:

Parking: Most commenters supported the proposal to eliminate parking on the south side of Northvale Rd between Dunleer Dr and Putney Rd in order to accommodate the new bikeway.

Signal on Motor Avenue: Many commenters were in favor of the proposed pedestrian and cyclist signal at the future bike path entrance on Motor Ave, noting that that the current configuration for turning left onto Northvale Rd from Motor Ave was unsafe.

Segment 2 Design: We asked attendees to vote on their preferred option for the street-level segment. Option 1 was two-way on-street bike lanes separated from vehicular traffic by bollards. Option 2 was a two-way bike path on raised curb with wood posts and cable railing. Many preferred the aesthetics of Option 2 (as portrayed in the preliminary rendering below). Others mentioned that Option 2 feels more “separated from vehicular traffic,” which would make the path safer to use. Based on this feedback, the project will develop the design for Option 2, which has a more visible separation from motorized traffic and will help keep cyclists safe.

Access Points: While most commenters supported Option 2 for Segment 2, many of them wanted openings along the path in order to access it from adjacent streets. Those in favor of Option 1 (on-street bike lanes with bollards) preferred this design because it allowed path users to enter or exit the path at multiple points. For Segment 1 (Motor Ave. to Dunleer Dr.), a few comments expressed concern about the access point on Walavista Rd., citing “security concerns”.

Thank you once more to all who came to the June 2018 open house and shared their thoughts with us! As we finalize the design, we will take into account the suggestions, including those on safety and access points. Continue checking the blog for updates on this project as it moves forward.